George W. Bush visits Lough View Integrated Primary School

• Integrated Education >

The President of the United States, George W. Bush and the First Lady, Laura Bush, took time out of their European Tour to visit Lough View Integrated Primary School on the outskirts of Belfast this afternoon.

The visit is seen as part of the ongoing endorsement of successive US administrations for integrated schooling in Northern Ireland as a means of building trust and understanding between children and young people. The distinguished guests were welcomed at the School by Principal Ms Maureen Butler who commented “I was delighted to welcome the President and First Lady to Lough View today. It is not every day that you are visited by a head of state. I was so proud to introduce our guests to some of our young pupils and they in turn were delighted to tell the President and First Lady all about attending a school like Lough View. It was important for our pupils to show how Lough View can provide an excellent education in an environment that celebrates diversity and welcomes all children, irrespective of religion, culture, or background."

Speaking during the visit, the Chair of the Integrated Education Campaign, Baroness May Blood said:

"The United States has been a long-standing supporter of integrated education and we have been immensely grateful for their endorsement. Whilst integration in schools in America (to end racial segregation) came about through legislation, in Northern Ireland it has been through the efforts of parents themselves not the government. I think that has impressed them. Here it has been a community driven initiative as opposed to a political one.”

"In recent years, successive US Peace Envoys have paid tribute to the work of the Integrated Education Fund and this continues to be the case with the current US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland and Under Secretary, Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula J. Dobriansky. In recent years, pupils from Integrated Colleges have been invited to the White House to meet with the President on St Patrick’s Day and share their experiences of integrated education. The Integrated Education Fund is indebted to have the continued enodrsement and financial support of Irish America for Integrated schooling."

"To have the support of organisations like the Atlantic Philanthropies, The American Ireland Fund, the Irish American Partnership and of course successive US Adminstrations has meant so much to us. Such support has enabled us to stand behind the courageous and visionary parents who have fought for the chance to have their children educated together in the same schools in our divided society.“

• Paul Caskey, Campaign Director, Integrated Education Fund: Tel: 028 9033 0031 www.ief.org.uk